Reprint
by
Rolf A. F. Witzsche, of the 48th Edition of the textbook of Christian Science, by
Mary Baker Eddy

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures 1889

The historic 48th Edition

Referring to
the earlier, now historic editions of Science and Health with Key to the
Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy counsels, --

… do not attempt to dispose of the earlier editions. Some are asking, "Can we be
permitted to exchange?" Probably not; but you do not want to do so, even if you
can. Fortunate is he who has all former revisions, together with the original
edition of 1875! They are indicators of successive stages of growth in Christian
Science; and as such, at some future day will not only possess historic value,
but will be exceedingly difficult to procure. Keep them all; they will prove a
"treasure trove." Again: Let the new volume be studied in connection with
earlier editions. The very contrasts help to see how the thoughts have risen
only as we have been able to receive them. This, again, will reveal why the new
edition could now be written for us. It is simply because the advancing thought,
or demonstration, of Christian Students has ascended to that plane which makes
it both possible and practicable for us to have the new Work.MARY BAKER G. EDDY (from the Christian Science Journal, April, 1891.)

This reprint edition has been prepared with great effort in a project to make
the earlier editions, which have largely disappeared from the landscape,
accessible again, and this not only in printed form, but also in PDF form that
is electronically searchable, and selectively printable. During the editorial
process, I, as editor of the printed format have taken the liberty to include a
number of subheadings into the Table of Contents, shown in brackets, that I find
of personal interest and have included for this reason, to share my interest.

Please note, it is an enormously tedious task to recompile a printed historic
book with historic terminology and spelling. While great care has been taken to
verify the electronically scanned and converted text for accuracy, some
typographical errors may have made it past the guard. If so, please excuse the
oversight.

The 48th Edition (1889), presented here, is historically significant as the year
of its publication marks a turning point in the development of the Church of
Christ Scientist. 1889 is the year in which Mary Baker Eddy closed the
Massachusetts Metaphysical College, dissolved the church as a corporate
structure, and moved away from Boston to the quiet Concord where she devoted
herself for the next two years to a major revision of the textbook on Christian
Science that became the 50th Edition, published in 1891. With this step
completed, she reorganized the church on an ‘incorporeal’ bases, based on a deed
of trust and governed from 1895 on. by the by-laws of its Church Manual, the
Manual of the Mother Church, which she is the author of. The 48th Edition marks
the beginning of this turning transition.

I personally find the 48th Edition interesting, and glad to be sharing it, for
its revolutionary concepts that mark the beginning of the great transition.Rolf A. F. Witzsche